31 December 2014

It is once again time to review another year in The Queen's jewels: what was new, what was unusual, and what topped the favorites list. This is the third year-end wrap up in the life of this blog, so if you'd like to see how this year compares, see here for 2012 and here for 2013. Obviously, all pertinent disclaimers apply to all this information (I can only account for what is publicly worn and what is publicly known, and mistakes on my part and disagreements happen all the time, etc). With that said, let's get to it:

The New and "New" Brooches

I'm starting here instead of with the year's brooch counts, because this has been without a doubt the year of the unusual brooch. Several items appeared that were either confirmed to be new to the collection and/or were spotted for the first time this year:

This was the year of unusual brooches, but you sure wouldn't know it just by tallying up the brooches we saw most frequently. This year's favorites are much like the favorites we've seen in years past. I was actually surprised the counts turned out so, well, ordinary, but with close to 70 brooches worn in the year and most appearing only once or twice, I shouldn't have been.

The Frosted Sunflower tops the list for three years running (and countless times prior to this blog's start), and the only brooch here that has not made an appearance on either or both of our two previous year counts is the Flame Lily.

The Tiara Appearances

We saw Her Majesty with tiara (and/or crown) in place in for five events this year:

This was a no-brainer for me. Not only was it the only time we saw something apart from the favorite Girls (which is my favorite tiara, don't get me wrong, but I am a fan of variety more than anything else), it had been quite a few years since The Queen wore the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara with emeralds in place and other pieces of the Cambridge and Delhi Durbar Parure on display. It was an historic visit and Her Majesty treated it as such, to our great delight.

As The Queen noted in her Christmas speech, this was a year of remembrance, and her appearance at the events marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day in France was a highlight. Despite all the new brooches in the air, her outing of Queen Victoria's Fringe Brooch (still not a normal selection for her, she'd worn it only once before) was my favorite for the year. Wearing such a massive piece for a daytime appearance conveyed how important the anniversary was, and it didn't go unnoticed that she selected a brooch which had been a favorite of her mother's for a World War II commemoration event. The entire state visit to France, centered around this anniversary, was basically one highlight after another.

The Duchess of Cambridge wore two big pieces from The Queen's collection this year: the New Zealand Fern Brooch and the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace. It feels as though the past few years have brought an increase in loans to others in the family, and these were the two most noticeable examples for the year. More of that, pretty please!

This round up is already too wordy, but I could go on and on. It's been a tremendously fun year to watch what emerges from the royal vault, and I can only hope there are more surprises to come in 2015. It's already guaranteed to be an historic year, as QEII will officially pass Queen Victoria to become the longest reigning British monarch in history in September. Her Majesty will also welcome another great-grandchild when the second Cambridge baby arrives around April, and the first tiara event of the year is already on the books for a state visit from Mexico in March. The New Year Honours list has just been published, promising lots of interesting investitures, and I'm already hoping The Queen personally handles making Joan Collins into a Dame.

A heartfelt thank you from me to all of you who have joined in the fun this year, and I hope you'll stick around for the next!

25 December 2014

For more: Daily Mail photos, Zimbio gallery.
A very merry Christmas to you all! Here's Her Maj's present for you: another look at the Tudor Rose Brooch, which first appeared in 2012. I'm not a huge fan of that brooch on this particular color coat (though my love for HM in brights never ceases), but I love that it serves as something of a symbol of this year of unusual brooch selections. (Stick around for our year in review post here, which goes up on the 31st! It's going to be a doozy. Also, we'll be covering other family members at the service on the other blog later on.)

The Queen talks much about this year of remembrance, including the centenary of World War I. The photos on the table are of her grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, who were king and queen back in 1914, and the brass box sitting in front would have been filled with presents for the troops back then as part of an effort organized by their daughter, Princess Mary.

Her selection of a brooch which came to her via Queen Mary has a bit of additional significance in that context. The Cambridge Pearl Pendant has made several appearances in Christmas broadcasts past, most recently appearing in 2012 and 2004. She's gone slightly fancier for this occasion, abandoning her usual earrings and triple strand of pearls for the larger version of those earrings, also from Queen Mary, and a longer double strand of pearls (as you'll see from the post linked below, I rarely attempt to differentiate between her many, many pearl necklaces). Very elegant, and on a final and tremendously superficial note...bonus points from me for a purple outfit and purple ornaments to match!

For more: Link above, article at Express.
A quality treat indeed! A wee sighting of the Kent Amethyst, and a sighting of Prince Philip, for those that wondered where he was when he didn't take the same train as Her Maj.

10 December 2014

For more: BBC article and video, Zimbio gallery.
It takes a lot of pattern power to make the Flower Basket Brooch disappear, and yet here we are. Not one of my favorite dress-to-brooch pairings, I gotta say.

09 December 2014

For more: Zimbio gallery.
The heart-shaped Cullinan is a perfect match for this textured pink dress, which is a repeat from the French state visit, but worn without the jacket this time - a big improvement, I'd say.